Fourth Sunday of Lent
This gospel about the merciful father and his two self-centered sons is one of the best-loved stories in the scriptures. The younger, a wastrel tells us something about greed and its consequences but also about the virtues of humility and repentance. The elder, complainer, speaks multitudes about human nature and how easily envy, jealousy and resentment arise when other people are treated well. The younger son, in a hurry to meet life, gets what he can out of his father, gathers together his bits and pieces and off he goes to live it up and do his own thing. When his money runs out his friends leave him and he finds himself reduced to living like an animal. Down in his luck, he comes to his senses and realizes he has made a fool of himself. Hoping for forgiveness, he heads back home to face his father and is overcome with the welcome he receives. The older son, a solid citizen who has never put a foot wrong in life and is resentful of his brother's notorious living, cannot come to terms with the easy pardon and refuses to join the celebrations. His type would never have experienced the shame of coming home in disgrace, knowing full well that the tongues of the town were wagging and buzzing with gossip.
The star of the show is the father who welcomes his son home without a word of reproach or recrimination. Irrespective of what has happened, he cannot change the one basic fact of the case. His son is still his son and he will always be received with open arms. The father in the story is someone whose love never changes and is present all the time as much when the son goes off as when he returns. That's where the gospel story tells us something about the gracious goodness of God - his warmth with sinners and the length of his merciful arm. God never changes. Somehow in a way beyond our understanding he knows the weakness, the waywardness and the perversity of the human heart and makes allowances. His love for us remains; he is always willing to forgive.
Lent is a time for growing in an appreciation of the beautiful and comforting truth that every person has a place in the heart of God. This story is drawn from real life with existing situations and if we are honest we can see shades of the elder and younger sons in ourselves. We have been wandering, disobedient and selfish children who hold grudges and are unwilling to forgive one another. We have forgotten our ever-loving Father who even after our most stupid mistakes and tragic sins is always ready to welcome us with open arms. The gospel tells us what coming home to God is really like.
With confidence we place our needs before God our
Father, who in loving-kindness overlooks our faults and greets us with a loving
embrace
1. That the church may be a living sign of true concern and dedicated care for those who are rejected by our society. Lord, hear us.
2. That, like the prodigal father, we may be generous in showing forgiveness to those who have hurt or disappointed us. Lord, hear us.
3. That all those who are suffering or sick may realize that they are loved by God from the care and attention shown to them. Lord, hear us.
4. That eternal light may shine upon all our departed brothers and sisters who have left the shadows of this world behind them. Lord, hear us.
Heavenly Father, and lover of all you have created;
guide us through life secure in your love. Help us to learn the lesson of
forgiveness and put it into practice in our daily lives. We make our prayer
through Christ our Lord. Amen.